Obesity is one of the most prevalent public heath problems in the United States and affects millions of Americans. An especially severe type of obesity, called morbid obesity, is characterized by a body mass index greater than or equal to 40 or a body weight that is 100 pounds over normal weight.
Recent studies have shown that over 300,000 deaths are caused by obesity in the United States each year. In addition, millions suffer broken bones, social isolation, arthritis, sleep apnea, asphyxiation, heart attacks, diabetes, and other medical conditions that are caused or exacerbated by obesity.
Patients suffering from obesity have very limited treatment options. For example, drugs such as sibutramine, diethylproprion, mazindol, phentermine, phenylpropanolamine, and orlistat are often used to treat obesity. However, these drugs are effective only for short-term use and have many adverse side-effects.
Another treatment option for obesity is surgery. For example, a procedure known as “stomach stapling” reduces the effective size of the stomach and the length of the nutrient-absorbing small intestine to treat obesity. However, surgery is highly invasive and is often associated with both acute and chronic complications including, but not limited to, infection, digestive problems, and deficiency in essential nutrients.